A Moment In Time
by Princess-Pasta
Summary: A Daria/Trent one-shot. I decided to make this separate from my other ones for *reasons*. M to be safe.


**A MOMENT IN TIME**

The dimly lit bar was full of 'artsy' college students. The building itself was newly built and fairly high-end for New York City. I was leaning against the railing on the upper level overlooking the stage. My set was finished but I wasn't ready to leave just yet. The performance went well. I didn't expect to get the positive feedback that I did. It was still sinking in that I was a talented solo artist. I never expected to be playing gigs in the city. Sure, it wasn't Hollywood and I wasn't Kurt Cobain but it was a far cry from the old Mystik Spiral days. I took a swig of my beer and looked out over the crowd below. The place was definitely catered to a younger demographic. I chuckled to myself, finding it strange that I was now a 'mature' adult. With my thirtieth birthday right around the corner, I wasn't the person I used to be.

"Very impressive."

The voice was a ghost from my past, a person I never thought I'd hear again. At first, I believed it was a mistake. It was another person, a stranger. Someone I'd never met before. I swallowed down the lump in my throat before I turned my head.

It was her. No matter how much she changed, I would always recognize her typical half-smile. Her hair fell in waves over her shoulders, perfectly framing her face. She was wearing a form fitting olive green cocktail dress and an unbuttoned black blazer. She glanced over in my direction, her dark brown eyes perfectly visible without glasses.

"...Now's the part where you say something."

I took a long drink of my beer and a deep breath. I would need all the liquid courage I could get. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her but I wasn't sure where to begin. I could barely believe she was standing in front of me. How many years had it been? I decided to start off slowly. There was no need to scare her away. I might not get this opportunity again.

"What are you doing here?"

"I uh...I live here."

I ran a hand over the back of my neck, "Here? As in New York?"

She took a sip of the amber liquid in her glass. I couldn't tell if it was rum or bourbon, "Yeah. I moved into my apartment a few months ago."

"You like it?"

"For the most part."

I took another drink, "So, how'd you end up here? At the bar, I mean."

She brushed some hair out of her face, "I actually saw your flyer. I made sure I saved the date."

Was she blushing? "And you liked the set?"

"You did a great job. I didn't catch the beginning but the last few songs were fantastic."

I tried to hide my surprise. She liked my music. It was a start, "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

Silence stretched out in front of us and it was almost like we were the only two in the room. All the words I wanted to say were stuck in my mouth. It was too late. She was just being nice, taking the time to give me support. She was always kind that way. No matter what, she would be there. Even after all this time. I wanted her presence to be something more. I didn't want to believe that I was still hung up over nothing. A high school crush was just that. I couldn't mean much to her now.

"...Can I get you another beer?"

I stared down at the empty bottle, "You don't have to-"

"My treat."

She smiled and there was no way I could say no.

* * *

"Then she says 'that's not my car!'. It was terrible."

I laughed but I was more mesmerized by how relaxed she was than by her story. All the anxiety from moments ago had completely evaporated. She was leaning in towards me so our knees were brushing against each other. She was even more intoxicating than before, if that was possible. I held my tongue because I wanted to hear her voice for as long as I could. I didn't care what she was saying. She could've been saying that the Earth was really flat and the moon was cheese, it wasn't important. What was important was the way she sounded when she laughed, the way her fingers curled around her glass, the way her eyes smoldered when she looked at me. I had to remember every single minor detail. I was falling for her, again. I wondered if I'd ever really stopped falling in the first place.

"You know, I really missed you, Trent."

"...I missed you too, Daria."

The slight flush to her cheeks reminded me of all those times she could barely speak around me. It seemed so long ago.

"...I should get going." She reached into her pocket for cash.

"I've got it." I placed down a few crumbled bills, "Let's go together."

* * *

The cool night air blew across my face as we walked down the crowded sidewalk. Everything seemed brighter, intensified. For some reason, the noise didn't seem to bother me. She was the only person I cared about.

She came to halt in front of a decent looking apartment building. It was funny, I'd passed it so many times before. I would've never known she lived there.

"My stop." She looked up at me, "Do you...want to come in?"

It was much more than an invitation, I understood that immediately. The implications of that one question alone were heavily weighted. I paused, not sure how I should respond. I knew what I wanted but I had to factor in everything else. This was a delicate situation, one that could change the course of our relationship forever.

She tilted her head slightly, "Well?"

"...Yeah." I coughed, "Yeah. Sure."

I followed her through the main entrance where a night guard was sitting, lazily flipping through a magazine. He barely glanced in our direction as we continued up a flight of stairs. Daria's apartment was the last one on the right. She quickly fished out her key and unlocked the door, flipping on a light switch before motioning me inside.

The place was modestly furnished, there weren't many paintings or knick knacks. It was the complete opposite of my own place which was crammed wall to wall with useless crap. But that was Daria; always practical.

"Make yourself at home. I'll be right out."

She scurried off to what I assumed to be her bedroom while I busied myself with flipping through the TV channels. It was late (or early) so, of course, the only thing on were infomercials and paid programming. I gave up, tossing the remote to the other end of the couch. I took my time unlacing my boots, fatigue suddenly settling over me. Just as I was about to close my eyes, she returned.

She was dressed in comfortable pajamas, smiling slightly. She took the seat next to me and briefly turned towards the TV.

"Interested in a knife set?"

"Nobody with common sense would sell me any knives."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Should I be worried?"

"Oh no, it's more for my own safety than anybody else's."

"Good to know." She reached for the remote and muted the show, "That's better."

I inched closer to her, my leg brushing against her own. She grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. It felt nice to be so close with someone. I had to admit, I missed it.

"Have you ever-"

She leaned forward and pressed her lips against my own, softly. It was so quick that I wondered if it had happened at all. She pulled back, face entirely red.

"Sorry. I didn't know you wanted to say-"

I cupped her chin, lifting her face towards mine again. I kissed her for a long time, my fingers itching to touch her skin.

"Hm." She trailed her fingers up my arm, "You haven't seen my room before."

"No, I haven't."

* * *

She was perfect.

I gently brushed my fingers against her shoulder, marveling at the softness of her pale skin. I trailed my fingers up to her neck, brushing aside her long auburn hair. I could feel her pulse underneath my fingertips. I pressed my lips against her skin, felt her warmth. A small sigh escaped her lips as her deep brown eyes fluttered open. She shifted her body until she was facing me, a smirk playing on the corners of her mouth. God, she was beautiful. I almost couldn't believe she was lying next to me. She trailed her index finger along my jaw sending tiny shivers down my spine.

"...I've wanted this for a really long time."

I closed the distance between us, wrapping my arms around her waist. I breathed in deeply, inhaling the fragrance of her skin. I craved this closeness for so long. I never thought my wishes would be granted. She was on another playing field entirely. Yet, somehow, here we were.

She folded herself into me, "Me too."

**This is coming from someone who says they're not a Daria/Trent shipper so...**

**I actually wrote this awhile ago and decided to tweak it a bit. Reviews are nice. **


End file.
